Sticking With his Lucky Numbers Pays off for Military Retiree

A Clarksville man who recently retired from the U.S. Marines enjoys playing Maryland Lottery games whenever life brings him by a Lottery retailer. The one game that he’ll wait around to watch is Racetrax, he told Lottery officials.

One recent night found him at his favorite Racetrax retailer, Classic Beer & Wine at 891 Rockville Pike in Rockville. “It’s a comfortable place,” he said. “The owners make it very nice for players.”

After placing a Trifecta bet using his favorite lucky number combination – 10, 6 and 12 – for several races, the husband and father sat back to watch his horses run. “I began gathering my coat to leave when my last race started,” he said. “The owner asked me a question and we started talking, so I didn’t notice what was happening.”

Having paid no attention to the race while it was in progress, the Montgomery County man glanced at the screen to see the results. “There it was: 10, 6, 12,” he said. “I’ve been playing them for years and watching race after race. For the first time, I don’t watch and BOOM, they come in.”

The lucky player and the store owner celebrated, exchanging high-fives and slaps on the back. “Then, I saw the race’s payout,” he said. “The bonus prize was $47,000! I thought I’d won $11,000.”

Quickly checking his Trifecta bet to make sure he’d added the Bonus multiplier, he felt overwhelmed by relief and amazement. His $11,771 prize had quadrupled with the Bonus to $47,084. “I almost always play the bonus,” he said. “For a moment, I was worried that I hadn’t. Thank goodness.”

The happy winner plans to pay off several debts with part of his prize. “After that, I’m sure my kids and I will think of something,” he said.

His lucky retailer also shares in the big win. Classic Beer & Wine in Rockville earns a $470.84 bonus for selling a winning Racetrax ticket of $10,000 or more. The bonus is equal to 1 percent of the prize.

Players must be at least 18 years old to play all Maryland Lottery games. The Maryland Lottery encourages responsible play.

The only official winning numbers are the numbers actually drawn. Information should always be verified before it is used in any way. Click here for more information, and click here to view actual Maryland Lottery drawings.

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